Gluten-free is no problem for these adorable gingerbread house cakes, perfect for a gingerbread house decorating party. They are easy to make, hold together without tears, and taste amazing... all while being gluten-free!
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The Secret to the Easiest & Best Gluten-Free Gingerbread House
This simple solution to the celiac gingerbread house should not be a secret!
We have been making gluten-free gingerbread houses since the year my then three-year-old was diagnosed with celiac disease. After a couple of "nailed it" fails, we landed on gluten-free gingerbread cakes, and have never looked back.
For years, we have been making a standard-size, gluten-free gingerbread house cake for our family to decorate together at an annual gingerbread house event. A couple of years ago we thought it would be fun to try out these miniature gingerbread cakes.
The secret to this easy gluten-free gingerbread house is in the Nordicware baking pan, available on Amazon.
Flavor & Size Options
The recipe on this webpage is for individual-sized, miniature gingerbread houses, and has a ginger-orange zest flavor.
If you are looking for a standard-size gingerbread house, perfect for the family to decorate together, Nordicware also makes a large, gingerbread house bundt cake pan.
I have a separate post with my recipe for a large, gluten-free gingerbread house with traditional gingerbread flavors, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and molasses.
Both recipes work well with either pan. It's up to you if you are in the mood for a family gingerbread house or a dozen miniature houses. So mix and match. Choose your pan and pick your recipe.
Why I LOVE These Miniature Gluten-Free Gingerbread House Cakes
They taste so good! The store-bought, boxed gingerbread houses are convenient, but their taste is a far cry from the delicious gingerbread houses we made (with real gingerbread) at my elementary school in Germany.
These mini gingerbread house cakes are a culinary nod to the flavors of those authentic houses. Your light, gingerbread house cake will be the envy of every dense, cardboard-tasting boxed house on the block!
They are easy to make. Of all the solutions to the gluten-free gingerbread house dilemma, the only option that might possibly be easier is buying a kit. Of course, with a kit, you still have to assemble the side walls and roof pieces.
If you decide to go the route of a kit, Yum Earth has a gingerbread house kit that is gluten-free and free of the top 9 allergens. Click here for $10 off your first order from Yum Earth.
Back to how easy these gingerbread house mini-cakes are. Making them is comparable to baking large cupcakes.
These mini gluten-free gingerbread houses are fun! They are adorable and just the right size for everyone to have their own.
You can make a dozen cakes for a family or neighborhood gingerbread house decorating party, and no one will ever know that they are gluten-free, unless you tell them.
Or sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top, and they make a beautiful and delicious centerpiece for a holiday meal.
I am so sold on the benefits of gluten-free gingerbread house cakes (miniature and family size) that they are the only gingerbread houses my family makes. If you're sold, too, let's dive right into the directions!
Step-by-Step Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour the gingerbread village pan, using cooking spray to grease and a pastry brush for the flour, to dust the details of the pan. Do not use "Pam Baking Spray" or "Baker's Joy" as they contain flour and are not gluten-free.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together gluten-free baking flour, xanthan gum (omit if your flour already contains it), sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. My kitchen helpers usually enjoy that job!
Using a stand mixer, combine yogurt, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange extract. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Once blended, mix for an additional three minutes to get the best results with gluten-free flour. Mix in orange zest.
This recipe involves a lot of mixing. I prefer to use my KitchenAid stand mixer. While it is not essential, a stand mixer is incredibly useful for the extra mixing required to give gluten-free baked goods more structure. If you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer is just as effective.
Let the batter sit for 15-20 minutes. This rest time is critical to let the gluten-free flour absorb the liquid in the recipe and soften, giving you light and airy gingerbread houses and avoiding the gritty taste you sometimes find in gluten-free baked goods.
Once rested, spoon half of the batter into the prepared gingerbread village pan, filling each well only ¾ full. Reserve the remaining batter to make a second batch of gingerbread houses.
To get the best-defined details on your gluten-free gingerbread houses and avoid domed bottoms, spread the batter up the sides of each well, so the batter is lower in the center and the sides of each house are covered.
Place the filled gingerbread village pan on a baking sheet for stability and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each house comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool the gingerbread houses in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, turn the gingerbread house cakes out onto a wire rack and cool completely. The non-stick pan releases the little cakes easily.
Wash and dry the pan, then repeat the steps to make another six gluten-free gingerbread houses.
Once completely cool, if the gingerbread houses are still slightly domed on the bottom, no worries! Trim the bottoms with a serrated knife so the houses have a level surface.
Now the fun begins! It's time to decorate. For the look of a snow-covered village, sprinkle the tiny gluten-free gingerbread houses with powdered sugar to make a cozy-looking centerpiece. Or set out a spread of cookie icing and candy for a traditional gingerbread house decorating event.
For inspiration, here's a list of gluten-free Christmas candy.
Gluten-Free Gingerbread House FAQ
Ginger is inherently gluten-free. Additionally, most single spices are at low risk for gluten cross-contamination when purchased from reliable manufacturers like McCormick. Spicely Organics, Morton & Basset Spices, and Badia Spices are all labeled gluten-free.
Gluten-free spices are discussed in more detail here.
Unless specifically labeled "gluten-free" gingerbread is not gluten-free. Common ingredients in gingerbread products (from cakes to cookies) are ginger, eggs, all-purpose wheat flour, butter, and molasses. The wheat flour in these products makes them inherently unsafe for individuals with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
Fortunately, quality gluten-free baking flour can be used as a replacement to make delicious, gluten-free gingerbread.
Cup-for-cup baking flour brands that are designed to replace traditional all-purpose flour in recipes one cup for one cup are the best flours to use in this gluten-free gingerbread house recipe.
Examples of quality, cup-for-cup baking flour brands are King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and Cup4Cup Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour.
These flours all contain xanthan gum. If your baking flour does not contain xanthan gum, an important binder in gluten-free baking, add ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum, per the recipe directions.
Sprinkle the gingerbread houses with powdered sugar for a snowy village look. Or decorate with store-bought, gluten-free cookie icing and candy.
Icing: The Betty Crocker website currently lists its cookie icing as gluten-free. Pillsbury frosting in a pre-filled pastry bag is labeled gluten-free, as are most brands of storebought frosting in a tub (always check the label).
Candy Ideas: Yum Earth's Candy Canes, Peep's Christmas Marshmallows, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, Dots, Mike & Ikes, Andes Peppermint Crunch Thins, and Tootsie Roll Snowballs are all labeled gluten-free. Spangler Candy Canes and Betty Crocker Cinnamon Imperials are both listed as gluten-free on their respective websites.
These gluten-free gingerbread house cakes can be kept at room temperature for up to two or three days.
Unlike the typical boxed gingerbread kit, these flavorful gingerbread houses are cakes and are made to be eaten fairly quickly, rather than last the entire Christmas season as a decoration.
Yes. Your gluten-free gingerbread houses will freeze well and maintain their taste and texture for up to three months in the freezer. Before freezing, allow the mini gingerbread house cakes to cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place the houses in an airtight container.
Looking for a gluten-free gingerbread house kit? Check out these gluten-free, allergy-friendly gingerbread house kits.
Miniature Gluten-Free Gingerbread Houses with Orange Zest
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup gluten-free baking flour blend I use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour already contains it)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup butter melted
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 tablespoon orange zest the zest of one orange
- (optional for decorating: powdered sugar, frosting, and candy)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour the gingerbread village pan, using Crisco or butter and a pastry brush for the gluten-free flour, to dust the details of the pan. (Caution: do not use a gluten-containing Baking Spray.)
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour already contains it), sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside the medium bowl.
- Using a stand mixer, combine yogurt, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange extract. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Once blended, mix for an additional three minutes. Mix in orange zest.
- Let batter sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared gingerbread village pan, filling each well only ¾ full. Reserve the remaining batter for the second batch of gingerbread houses. Spread the batter up the sides of each well, so the batter is lower in the center and the sides of each house are covered.
- Place the filled gingerbread village pan on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each house comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then, turn the gingerbread house cakes out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Wash and dry the pan, then prepare again starting with step 6. Repeat steps 6-8.
- Decorate.
